Local and systemic vasodilation following hypnotic suggestion of warm tub bathing

Casíglia, Edoardo; Rossi, Augusto M.; Tikhonoff, Valérie; Scarpa, Roberta; Tibaldeschi, G.; Giacomello, Margherita; Canna, Paola; Schiavon, Laura; Rizzato, Alessandra; Lapenta, Antonio M.

doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2006.01.012

Cited by 24 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The suggestions were similar to those administered in our previous experience, i.e. hallucination of immersion of whole-body in a bath tub of warm water (Casiglia et al, 2006).…”

Section: Methods Participantssupporting

confidence: 52%

“…After spontaneous eyelid closure was obtained, participants were invited to concentrate on their own body from head to foot, whilst a feeling of heaviness and muscular relaxation was being suggested (Kaffman, 1981). According to previous papers published by the same research group (Casiglia et al, 1997a(Casiglia et al, , 2006(Casiglia et al, , 2007(Casiglia et al, , 2010(Casiglia et al, , 2012bFacco et al, 2011), verification of hypnosis was based on some signals, such as arm levitation, the easing of facial tension, a dropped lower jaw with a slight opening of the mouth, and slowing down of breathing rate. The analysis of these signals enabled the hypnotist to verify the participants were really hypnotized and to maintain or modify this condition by means of continuous appropriate suggestions.…”

Section: Methods Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a different day, the experimental setting was performed. This way to proceed -similar to that followed in previous protocol by the same research group where haemodynamic peripheral modifications following hypnotic suggestion of warm tub bathing had been detected (Casiglia et al, 2006) -was chosen in order to make that research and this experiment absolutely comparable from a procedural point of view.…”

Section: Methods Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Continuous variables were expressed as mean and standard deviation and compared between groups with one-tailed analysis of variance. Choosing one-tailed analysis was justified by the fact that the expected direction of vessel diameter and flow modifications was known based on previous studies by our research group in which hypnotic hallucination of warm tub bathing was used (Casiglia et al, 2006). The null hypothesis was rejected when p was <0.05.…”

Section: Methods Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As demonstrated by Casiglia et al (2006), vasodilation is local if suggestion is local, systemic if suggestion is systemic. In fact, during suggestion of forearm in warm water we previously recorded local vasodilation with decrease of forearm resistance and increase of forearm blood flow like in real local passive warming, and during suggestion of wholebody in a warm water tub there was a systemic vasodilation with decrease of total peripheral resistance and increase of cardiac index like in real total-body passive warming, while during neutral hypnosis (sham procedure) no haemodynamic variations were observed (Casiglia et al, 2006). Nevertheless, our previous study focused on limbs and on thoracic vessels, and did not examine splanchnic circulation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hypnotic Hallucination of Body Heating Modifies Splanchnic Circulation: Haemodynamic and Ultrasonographic Pilot Study in Normal Volunteers

Tikhonoff¹,

Senzolo²,

Lapenta³

et al. 2017

Sleep Hypn

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In previous experience we demonstrated that in highly hypnotizable subjects (highs) it is very easy to produce through hypnotic suggestion of heat a real and measurable increase of temperature and of blood flow in body segments. Aim of the present paper is to ascertain whether this is plausible for splanchnic vessels too. In 5 healthy volunteers aged 27.4±4.0 years, cardiac output, upper limb blood flow, mesenteric diameter, flow and mean flow velocity, and portal vein diameter and flow velocity were measured by bioimpedence, ultrasonography and LASER-Doppler in usual conditions of consciousness (pre-hypnosis) and during hypnotic suggestion of body heat. Following hypnotic body heating, splanchnic vasodilation (+59% in mesenteric blood flow, p<0.01; +16% in diameter; mean flow velocity +43%) was observed, paralleling upper limb flow, while portal vein diameter decreased by 25% (p<0.001) and portal vein mean flow by 30% (p<0.001) probably to maintain a constant pressure in the hepatic district in the context of the so-called hepatic arterial buffer response. As a consequence of abdominal and peripheral vasodilation, 9% reflex rise in heart rate and 15% in stroke volume were observed, leading to increase of cardiac index in comparison to baseline (+16%). Following reflex hyperdynamic status, systolic blood pressure insignificantly tended to increase from 111.8±21.9 mmHg to 116.0±13.7 mmHg (+6%). Hypnotic heating is therefore associated to splanchnic arterial vasodilation, a condition that reminds of other physical hyperdynamic conditions. The mental image of body heating therefore produces real and measurable physical effects that can be detected with the tools of physiologists.

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“…The suggestions were similar to those administered in our previous experience, i.e. hallucination of immersion of whole-body in a bath tub of warm water (Casiglia et al, 2006).…”

Section: Methods Participantssupporting

confidence: 52%